‘Marginalia’ by die teologie van Natie van Wyk

Abstract

‘Marginalia’ are notes made in the margins of a book. It could be general comments, glosses (interpretation of the meaning of a phrase) or scholia (commentary on the text). For centuries marginalia was considered an important scholarly activity, almost as important as the original text. The famous marginalia on the text of Homer’s Iliad dates back to the 5th century before Christ. Some of the most important theologians in history kept themselves busy by adding marginalia to texts. Luther’s marginalia on the text of Paul’s Letter to the Romans is a good example of this type of scholarly endeavour. Writing about the life and work of a fellow theologian could at best be a few marginal notes – sometimes it is a mere scribble, sometimes an interpretation of a text and sometimes commentary is necessary. This contribution reflects on the life and work of I.W.C. van Wyk, a theologian who dedicated his life to the church, mission and reformed theology.